Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for U.S. travel
Maine to Florida
By Linda Tancs
It makes sense that the East Coast, the country’s most populous corridor, should have a path for walkers and cyclists to experience all that the region has to offer. Enter the East Coast Greenway, a 3,000-mile network connecting 450 communities in 15 states, Maine to Florida. Designed to encourage people of all ages and abilities to commute, exercise and tour, the trail network features destinations like the Scarborough Marsh in Maine (the largest saltwater marsh in the state), the Hudson River Greenway in New York City (running the length of Manhattan) and South Carolina’s Spanish Moss Trail, the focal point of which is the old Beaufort rail depot of 1901.
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
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A First in Hyde Park
By Linda Tancs
The Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site is the only national historic site dedicated to a first lady. It’s located at Val-Kill, her beloved home in Hyde Park, New York. At this modest, pastoral setting the first lady and her husband entertained friends and political affiliates alike. It was also at this locale that Eleanor launched Val-Kill Industries, dedicated to reviving handcraft traditions such as furniture-making, metalwork and weaving. The National Park Service has assembled a comprehensive collection of furniture, pewter, tools and archival material related to this business venture. Visitors can tour the cottage and its gardens and grounds as well as enjoy an introductory film and a permanent exhibit on her legacy.
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
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Texas Mound Builders
By Linda Tancs
“Mound builders” comprised various cultural groups responsible for building earthen mounds for religious, ceremonial, burial and residential purposes over thousands of years. One such group was the Caddo Indians known as the Hasinai, who built the southwesternmost ceremonial center for the mound builder culture in Texas. That ancient culture dating back more than 1,200 years is commemorated at Caddo Mounds State Historic Site in Alto, where three earthen mounds are displayed. The Caddo were the most highly developed prehistoric culture known within the present State of Texas. In fact, the state’s name is derived from the Caddo word tejas, which means “friend.” Visitors can walk the 0.7 mile, self-guided interpretive trail that includes the grass house, mounds and borrow pit. The site is part of the Texas Forest Trail Region.
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
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Root Beer Falls
By Linda Tancs
Michigan’s Tahquamenon Falls State Park encompasses close to 50,000 acres and stretches more than 13 miles. Waterfalls are the predominant attraction there, featuring the third largest vertical waterfall east of the Mississippi River. Officially known as the Upper Falls, it spreads over 200 feet across and drops about 48 feet. Due to its amber color, the Upper Falls are affectionately known as “the Root Beer Falls.” Their distinctive hue is due to the tannins leaching into the Tahquamenon River from the cedar, spruce and hemlock swamps along its shores. The autumn leaves this time of year present a nice addition to the color scheme. Get a close-up look at the brink of the falls by taking 94 steps down to the main viewing deck, or you can take 116 steps down into the gorge for a panoramic view.
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
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The Art of Trash in Sonoma
By Linda Tancs
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, as the saying goes. You might invoke that thought when you visit the trash art in Sebastopol, California. Made from recycled trash like old cars, cookware, discarded pipes and aluminum trash cans, it’s an outdoor exhibit of outsized and outlandish figures adorning a three-block radius along Florence Avenue in this small Sonoma County town. Conceived by Patrick Amiot and Brigitte Laurent, the works include a rat at the wheel of a hot rod, a tea-sipping Mad Hatter, a joy-riding skeleton on a chopper, giant birds and a mermaid.
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
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African American History in the Sourlands
By Linda Tancs
Sourland Mountain is a ridge straddling the borders of Somerset, Hunterdon and Mercer counties in New Jersey. Among its charms is one of the most historic buildings, the 120-year-old, one-room Mount Zion African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church. Now known as the Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum, it recounts the culture and contributions of African Americans who lived in the Sourlands for hundreds of years.
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
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An Agent of Change in Richmond
By Linda Tancs
The home of Maggie L. Walker in Richmond, Virginia, became a prime location in the heart of Jackson Ward (a National Historic Landmark), the center of Richmond’s African American business and social life at the turn of the century. At that residence she devoted her life to civil rights advancement, economic empowerment and educational opportunities for Jim Crow-era African Americans and women. She was no less an inspiration in her own right, being the first Black woman in the U.S. to found a bank. She also established a newspaper and spearheaded a variety of civic groups. Her home is a National Historic Site on North 2nd Street.
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
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A Halfway Point in Virginia
By Linda Tancs
Middleburg, Virginia, was established in 1787 by American Revolutionary War Lieutenant Colonel and Virginia statesman John Leven Powell, who named it Middleburg because it was the halfway point between two towns on the popular Ashby Gap trading route. Historically, it served as the site of two battles of the Gettysburg Campaign during the Civil War and counts more than 160 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. Later, it became so popular for fox hunts and horse racing that it earned the moniker “Nation’s Horse and Hunt Capital.” It’s still a hotspot for equestrian events today, hosting an abundance of nationally renowned events. Equally popular are the vineyards, nestled scenically along a stretch of Route 50 dotted with old stone cottages and horse farms with the Blue Ridge and Bull Run mountains as a backdrop. You’ll find 20 wineries just 30 minutes away from this historic town.
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
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Into the Woods in Idaho
By Linda Tancs
The Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness is the third-largest wilderness in the lower 48 states. Located primarily in Idaho (with a small portion extending into Montana), it comprises four national forests: Bitterroot National Forest, Nez Perce National Forest, Clearwater National Forest and Lolo National Forest. Part of its charm are the dramatic Selway-Bitterroot peaks spanning the Bitterroot Range along the Montana-Idaho border. Wild and scenic, it’s a must-do for hikers, backpackers and other outdoor adventurers.
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
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A House Fit for a Duke
By Linda Tancs
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Duke Mansion is a North Carolina estate in Charlotte named for its most famous occupant, American industrialist James Buchanan Duke. He lived at the Colonial Revival-style dwelling during the last few years of his life. Following his death, the house saw additional owners and expanding uses, from a condominium complex to its current uses as a historic inn, meeting venue and leadership institute. The garden of the mansion is open to the public during daylight hours when the venue is not rented for a private function. However, if the gate on Ardsley Road is open, then feel free to enter for a stroll.
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
Travelrific® Travel Journal 